Gilroy Browns Cheerleading Team Soars In Bid For National Title

GILROY, CA — This year has been a trying one for Gilroy, but a group of talented teens is hoping to bring some cheer back to the city in their bid for a national title next month. First, they'll need the community's help to get there.

The Gilroy Browns 14U Cheerleading team placed second last week at the regional championships in cheer and dance, held at the Cow Palace in Daly City. That was good enough to qualify for January's JAMZ Youth Nationals in Las Vegas.

It's the first time a Gilroy Browns JV cheerleading team has qualified for Nationals, parent Patrick Mendez told Patch in an email. Mendez's daughter, Brionna, is team captain.

The tragedy of July's Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting is at the forefront of the minds of many on the team. Several cheerleaders, coaches, and family of the team members were in attendance at the festival shooting, Mendez explained.

"Honestly, the stigma of that incident has placed a black cloud over our community and continues to weigh heavily on the girls," Mendez said. "The girls have shown a tremendous amount of character and empathy to help each other cope with, and try to move past the Garlic Festival incident. As a father, it's pretty special to witness."

But attending Nationals will require steep airfare, lodging, and food costs. To make that dream a reality, the team created a GoFundMe, seeking to raise $16,000 to send the team to Las Vegas in January.

"Competing at Nationals would be an opportunity for them to bring a sense of pride back to Gilroy and give the community something to cheer about," Mendez said.